We all knew that the (forced) resignation of Vince McMahon would alter the WWE television product in some way. Most of us thought that the change would be positive, but no one knew how long it would take for changes to be seen in the booking, the production, and the overall feel of WWE Raw and its sister brands.
I didn’t want to jump the gun here. I didn’t want to watch just one episode of WWE Raw after Vince left and claim it to be the best thing to ever happen to the company. I wanted to give it time to settle, time to make sure an initial surge wasn’t just the new creative team throwing darts to see what stuck.
I have given it more than enough time at this point. It is time to come to grips with the fact that WWE Raw is actually good again.
WWE Raw Improvements
If you are part of the “Eat. Sleep. Watch Pro Wrestling. Repeat” crowd (you should firstly buy a mug or a Tee to help out this blog!), then Vince leaving has simply been the best thing to happen to your life in 2022. We all knew that his micromanagement and general overt weirdness were holding the company back, but no one had any idea just how detrimental to the product Mr. McMahon had become.
The first clue should have been the rejuvenation of one Michael Cole. Cole – a figure long derided by the WWE crowd as the voice of the PG/Corporate era – has actually shown over the last couple of months how good he can actually be.
In fairness to Cole, he had actually started to transition to being a good announce pre-departure, mainly spurred on by Pat McAfee, a guy who it feels like no boss could completely control. Even so, hearing Cole take a shot at Vince over no longer having someone tell him what to say was pretty astonishing, given the bubble that the WWE had previously kept their lead announcer in.
Three Hour Raws
A lot of fans and analysts of Wrestling – especially on YouTube – had laid the blame for Raw being terrible on the fact that WWE made it a three-hour show. The reasons for the extra hour are obvious – specifically more money each week in advertising revenue – but it always felt like creative was struggling to fill that extra hour with anything remotely interesting.
The show was a slog to get through to the point that many fans would just find recaps online to skip the fluff. In the last few weeks, however, there has been so little fluff, and the show is quickly becoming must watch again.
The interest around potential returns and debuts is certainly helping push this cause, but the show’s content is more than carrying it every week. That is the sweet spot that Triple H and the company have found. They are getting lapsed fans to watch in the hopes that a Bray Wyatt, a Braun Stroman, or a Sahsa Banks will return, but Raw itself is holding their interest to the point they will tune in again the following week.
Fresh ideas are happening. New stars are being pushed. The whole product feels fresh without feeling like it is being refreshed for the sake of something different. If you are not watching WWE Raw currently, then get back into it. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Always remember, folks. Pro Wrestling is Real.
